How the rescue went
We'd been thinking about a dog for about two years before we did anything about it. Life was busy, the house felt too small, we weren't sure we were ready. Classic pre-dog conversations that, in retrospect, were mostly just anxiety about change.
When we finally decided to go for it, we wanted to rescue rather than buy from a breeder. Not because we're judging anyone else's choices — genuinely, there are responsible breeders and each person has to make the right decision for their family, but because it felt right for us. There are dogs in rescue centres right now who are perfectly good dogs and just need someone to come and get them.
We found Tommy through a regional rescue organisation. We submitted an application, had a home visit, went to meet him twice (the second time to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke), and brought him home on a Saturday morning in October. He hid behind the sofa for three hours, then came out, sat in the middle of the living room floor and stared at us. We stared back. Something was decided.
The first few weeks were not smooth. He had separation anxiety that expressed itself through very inventive furniture rearrangement. He barked at absolutely everything. He did not understand that beds are for sleeping in, not standing on at 3am to assess whether the garden is secure. But he also learned fast, and the anxiety slowly ebbed as he realised that nobody here was going to disappear on him.
Why we started writing and making cards
The blog started because we kept telling people things we'd found out: about rescue dogs specifically, about building routines, about what helped Tommy settle, and it felt more efficient to write it down. There is a lot of dog content on the internet, some of it excellent and some of it confidently wrong, and we wanted to add something in the "genuinely useful, honestly told" column.
The cards came later. We found ourselves wanting to send a specific card when a friend's dog had to be put to sleep, and couldn't find anything that felt right — everything was either too chirpy or too funereal, and none of it felt like it understood what it actually means to lose a dog. So we made one. Then a birthday card. Then the new puppy one. Then it became a thing.
The rescue donation built in from the beginning. Tommy came from rescue, and we think that matters. It's not a large donation per card, but it adds up, and it goes to organisations who are doing unglamorous, genuinely important work.
Our adopt-don't-shop position
We feel strongly about this, but we try not to be preachy about it. Rescue is not for everyone — some breeds need specialist knowledge, some families have specific needs, and there are puppies from responsible breeders who go to brilliant homes. We're not here to lecture.
What we will say is that the rescue experience has been, in the most literal sense, life-changing. Tommy is a dog with a history we don't fully know, a few scars from before we met him, and more personality than most dogs we've encountered. He is also the best thing in our house.
If you're considering a dog and haven't looked at rescue yet, please do. Ring a local rescue centre. Tell them what you're looking for. Most of them are remarkably good at matching dogs to households. You might end up with a Tommy.
Get in touch
If you have questions about anything on the blog, want to order a card, want to chat about rescue dogs, or just want to tell us about your dog — please do. We genuinely read and reply to every email. We're at [email protected] and happy to hear from you.
